Apparatus for cleaning pipes



(No Model.)

0 PETERS APPARATUS FOR CLEANING PIPES.

INVENTOH BY A7TOHNEYS.

Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

WITNESSES.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES PETERS, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING PIPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,874, dated April '7, 1896.

Application filed August 6, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES PETERS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Pipes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to apparatus for forcing a cleaning liquid through pipes and cocks used in apparatus for dispensing beer.

The object of the invention is to obtain a better cleaning action, and this object I seek to attain by forcing through the pipes to be cleaned a column of liquid which, instead of being driven at a constant speed, is periodically arrested or checked in its motion, so as to produce a shaking action in the pipes.

The particular construction whereby the above result is secured will be described specifically with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the features of novelty will then be pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the apparatus on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The apparatus consists of avesselA, adapted to be closed in an air-tight manner by means of a cover B or by any suitable equivalent construct-ion.

13 indicates an aperture whereby the vessel A may be filled with the cleaning liquid, said aperture being normally closed by a plug.

0 is a pipe adapted for connection with a source of compressed air, such as an air-compressor or a reservoir containing air under pressure. The pipe 0 leads into the receptacle A, preferably near the top thereof. Within the receptacle is arranged a box D, which is closed except at the points hereinafter mentioned. Into the bottom of the said box leads the inlet-pipe E for the cleaning liquid, said pipe reaching down into the receptacle A nearly to the bottom thereof.

From the upper end of the box B projects the outlet-pipe F, which extends through the cover 13 and is adapted for connection, by

Serial No. 558,400. (No model.)

means of a flexible hose, to the pipes or apparatus to be cleaned.

A short piece of glass tube G may be inserted between the pipe F and its continuation F, so that the peculiar intermittent or pulsating flow of the cleaning liquid maybe watched.

In the box D is also journaled asmall wheel H, having vanes I, which are so located relatively to the inner ends of the pipes E and F that the liquid flowing through the box will cause the wheel H to rotate. At one end of its shaft the said wheelis provided with a disk J, mounted to rotate therewith, said disk being apertured eccentrically, as shown at J, and in the wall of the box D is provided an opening D at such a distance from the center of the wheel H that during the revolution of the latter the apertures J and D will periodically register.

It will be understood that the disk J is located so close to the wall of the box D that a substantially air-tight engagement will result and that no communication will exist between the outside of the box and the inside except when the apertures J and D register.

The cleaning liquid is filled into the receptacle A to such a height that its surface, as indicated by the letters cl cl, will be below the aperture D of the box D.

The operation of the device is as follows: The receptacle A being filled and closed as described, compressed air is admitted through the pipe O. The pressure of the air will drive the cleaning liquid up and out through the pipe E, box D, and pipes F G F. The liquid by flowing through the box will operate the wheel II. By the revolution of the wheel the opening J will periodically be brought into registry with the opening'D in the box D. Whenever the said openings register, compressed air will pass directly from the receptacle A through the openings D and J into the box D, and thereby momentarily arrest or check the flow of the liquid therein. The liquid, therefore, instead of flowing at a constant speed, will flow at a certain rate of speed corresponding to the pressure of the air as long as the apertures J and D do not register and will flow at a considerably-reduced speed at the moment the air has direct access to the interior of the box D, or it may even be that at such a moment the direction of the flow will be reversed. I

It will be obvious that the current of liquid flowing at an irregular rate of speed, as described, will have a much more powerful cleaning action than one whose speed remains unchanged.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with areceptacle adapted for connection with a supply of compressed air, of a box connected with the said receptacle to receive a liquid therefrom, the box being provided with an outlet adapted for connection with the pipes to be cleaned, and the box being further provided with an aperture, whereby its interior may communicate directly with a supply of compressed air, and means located within the box and operated by the flow of the liquid therethrough for periodically opening and closing the aperture by means of which the interior of the box may communicate with the supply of compressed air, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a. receptacle for a cleaning liquid, a box located within the said receptacle and provided with inlet and outlet pipes, and further provided with an aperture leading into the upper part of the box, and a wheel located within the box to be rotated by the flow of the liquid, said wheel being constructed to open and close the openingin the box, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a receptacle for a cleaning liquid said receptacle being adapted for connection with a supply of compressed air, a box having an inlet-tube connected with the said receptacle, an outlet-tube adapted for connection with the pipe to be cleaned, and an aperture connected with a supply of compressed air, a wheel journaled in the box and adapted to be rotated by the flow of liquid therethrough, and means for periodically covering and uncovering the opening in the box by the rotation of the wheel, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a receptacle for the cleaning liquid, said recptacle being adapted for connection with a supply of compressed air, a box having an inlet-tube connected with the said receptacle, an outlet-tube adapted for connection with the pipe to be cleaned and an aperture connected to the supply of compressed air, a wheel journaled in the box and adapted to be rotated by the flow of the liquid therethrough, and a disk mounted to rotate with the wheel and adapted to engage the walls of the box, said disk being provided with an aperture arranged to periodically register with the opening in the box, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES PETERS.

Vitnesses:

FRANK HARMS, BERNHARD MERTEN. 

